I re-read this book recently which is full of letters from brilliant women to their younger selves. The letters are inspiring, encouraging, heartbreaking, funny and so very wise. I found myself crying and laughing in equal measure and was left with the conviction that our capacity to overcome and to really live is quite amazing.

I started to think what I would write to my younger self.

Would I document all the highs and lows that were going to come or would that take away the sense of adventure and discovery?

Would giving too much away about the life that was to come detract from the learning in the hard places and the joy of the mountain tops?

Forewarned is forearmed as they say and perhaps I would rob myself of the lessons I needed to learn when I found myself challenged beyond what I thought possible and I had to dig deep to find treasure I hadn't know was there.

After much thought and re-writes, I think this is what mine would say:

“Dear younger Jo,

Life isn’t going to turn out how you thought -and that’s okay. It’s going to be so much better, so much harder and so much more worth it than you can imagine right now. Your heart is going to break and expand in ways you didn’t think possible. You can do it and you are enough.It’s going to hurt at times but trust the process, let people in and always, always look for the joy.